All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. The following description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Glioblastoma is the most frequent and most lethal form of primary brain cancer. Despite advances in stereotactic surgical resection, radiation therapy and chemotherapeutics, patients diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) have a median survival of 14.6 months. This disease is complicated by the fact that along with aberrant signal transduction pathways at the protein level, GBMs are marred in chromosomal alterations and instability at the genomic level. For this reason, biologically relevant targets remain elusive. The introduction of subdividing glioblastoma patients based on molecular signatures has increased our knowledge of patient response to therapy, patient outcome and the stem cell component found within GBMs. Among the glioblastoma subtypes, the proneural (PN) subytpe has the most favorable outcome. In contrast, the proliferative (Prolif) and mesenchymal (Mes) subtypes have a poor survival outcome. The stem cell component of GBMs may play an important role in both patient response to therapy and patient survival.
As such, there is a need in art for methods, kits and systems for determining molecular subsets for the prognostication of brain tumors, such as GBMs, and for selecting and administering treatment for these patients.